Faure Gnassingbé
Faure Gnassingbé | |
|---|---|
Gnassingbé in 2022 | |
| 1st President of the Council of Ministers of Togo | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2025 | |
| President | Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové |
| Preceded by | Office established; Victoire Tomegah Dogbé (as Prime Minister) |
| 4th President of Togo | |
| In office 4 May 2005 – 3 May 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | See list |
| Preceded by | Bonfoh Abass (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové |
| In office 5 February 2005 – 25 February 2005 | |
| Prime Minister | Koffi Sama |
| Preceded by | Gnassingbé Eyadéma |
| Succeeded by | Bonfoh Abass (acting) |
| 10th President of the National Assembly of Togo | |
| In office 5 February 2005 – 25 February 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba |
| Succeeded by | Bonfoh Abass |
| Minister of Equipment, Mines, Posts, and Telecommunications | |
| In office 29 July 2003 – 5 February 2005 | |
| Prime Minister | Koffi Sama |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 June 1966 Afagnan, Togo |
| Party | UNIR (since 2012) |
| Other political affiliations | RPT (1990–2012) |
| Spouse | Nana Ama Kuffour |
| Relations | Gnassingbé Eyadéma (father) Kpatcha (half-brother) |
| Alma mater | Paris Dauphine University George Washington (MBA) |
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé (French pronunciation: [fɔʁ esozimna ɲasiŋɡbe]; born 6 June 1966) is a Togolese politician who has led Togo since 2005, first as the fourth president until 2025 and then as the inaugural president of the council of ministers. A member of the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR), he is the son of the third president, Gnassingbé Eyadéma.
Born in Afagnan, Gnassingbé studied in the United States and France before joining the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) in 1990. He was appointed by his father as Minister of Equipment, Mines, Posts, and Telecommunications, serving in these roles from 2003 to 2005. Following Eyadéma's death in 2005, Gnassingbé was immediately installed as president with support from the army and was elected president of the National Assembly to further legitimise his succession. However, doubts regarding the constitutional legitimacy of the succession led to heavy regional pressure being placed on Gnassingbé, and he subsequently resigned on 25 February. He then won a controversial presidential election on 24 April, and was sworn in as president. Gnassingbé further ran for three more terms in 2010, 2015 and 2020, after a 2019 constitutional amendment which allowed him to run for two more terms.
In 2024, Gnassingbé once again amended Togo's constitution. He stripped off most of the powers of the presidency and transferred the powers to the prime minister, with the role being renamed "president of the Council of Ministers", nominally turning Togo from a presidential republic into a parliamentary one. The change also changed the way on how the president is elected, from being directly elected by the Togolese people to being indirectly elected by the Parliament. Opposition members criticised these changes due to the lack of term limits for Gnassingbé's new position. The changes came into effect in May 2025, when Gnassingbé was sworn in as president of the Council of Ministers, with former opposition leader Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové becoming president. Since June 2025, protests against Gnassingbé grew demanding his resignation. Gnassingbé has been widely criticized for contributing to democratic backsliding in Togo and critics have described him as a dictator.